Kidnappers on rampage as runaway victim receives death threats

A victim of kidnap in Aduwawa in Edo State, Charles Michael has said that his life is under severe threat after he managed to escape being taken away by kidnappers who stormed his community in Ikpoba-Okha community as bandits to perpetuate criminality and abduct people .

Recall that a US based Nigerian philanthropist Prince Dennis Abuda was also abducted and killed by herdsmen on his way to Lagos State from his hometown in Fugar, Etsako Central local government area of Edo State after his vacation on January 30th 2021 and his decomposing body later discovered on Feb 2nd 2021 in a thick forest along the Benin-Auchi road.

Charles Michael who made this known after reporting at police station how he and others were kidnapped during a raid by bandits on March 8th 2023 said the kidnappers who operated as bandits took their victims through narrow footpath along thick forest to a camp where other victims were held in captivity.

Speaking further, he said while they were being taken into the camp in the forest, he was violently attacked by some of the bandits who fought him and stabbed him in the chest for refusing to walk fast as they (victims) were being ordered into the forest .

According to him, he was taken for dead and allowed to die of exhaustion while the movement of other victims into the kidnappers camp in the forest along the Benin-Auchi road continued .

Howeverr, it was said that he managed to survive and escape from the forest when the bandits had taken others away as he made efforts to report the incident where he was assured that the case would be investigated.

It was however gathered that Charles Michael had been living in constant fear and harrasment by the bandits after learning of his survival and threatened to come after him and members of his family.

Also, several communities including Aduwawa in Ikpoba-Okha local government are suitable targets for bandits and kidnappers some of whom are herdsmen who daily terrorise communities for millions as ransom after taken their victims into abduction.

The case of Charles Michael, according to recent reports in the community however revealed that the bandits have again returned with threats to abduct him and members of his family as well as others from the community as they demanded for over 100 million naira from members of the community else they would all be attacked and murdered .

Meanwhile, a statement released by the Edo state Command of the Nigerian Police stated that it had commenced investigation into the case of kidnapping along the Benin-Auchi road along Aduwawa road where over 40 persons were kidnapped from a remote community in Ikpoba-Okha local government area and taken into camps in forest.

The statement further urged members of the general public to remain calm and vigilant as information that could lead to arrest of the bandits was highly anticipated from, members of the general public with a view to securing the release of victims adding that banditry, kidnappings and insurgency have become national issues affecting us all.

Charles Michael whose whereabouts remain unknown to anyone in the community was born on December 23rd 1983 into the family of Mr Ebor Michael who passed on November 11th 2009 and he is the youngest of 8 siblings.